Frame mounting means for flexible sheetlike materials



BSO-407 FlG. 4

FIG. 5

NVENTOR H. A. MARSH FRAME MOUNTING MEANS Fon FLEXIBLE July 6, 1948.

SHEET LIKE MATERIALS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 26, 1946 FIG. 7

FIG. 6

, l f l IOI IOS

INVENTOR M BY Patented July 6, 1948 OUGIUH UHU FRAME MOUNTING MEANS FOR FLEXIBLE SHEETLIKE MATERIALS Harold A. Marsh, Brookline, Mass., assignor to Polaroid Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Application April 26, 1946, Serial No. 665,275

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates, in general, lto new and improved mounting means for sheet plastic material, and more particularly to mounting rims or frames for viewing screens or visors and the like, embodying selectively light-transmitting sheet plastic material or any various other sheet materials.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide rim or frame means for mounting sheets of material `that are subject to variations in area due to variations in ambient temperature and moisture conditions and for holding said sheets substantially iiat over a relatively wide range of temperature, and widely varying moisture conditions, and all Without producing cracks or breaks, or harmful strains therein.

Another object is to provide a variable density window comprising a plurality of rims having the above characteristics and engaging one within the other and each having mounted therein a sheet of light-polarizing material.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rim comprising two rim members, spaced from each other and symmetrically positioned, and if annular, coaxially positioned, with a springy deformable means interconnecting the two members. One of the mem-bers is a support member for the sheet material, and has means defining a plane, to which the sheet is to be attached, while the other member is a stifening member and functions to prevent the rim from buckling in the plane of the supported sheet, and from warping or twisting out of such plane due to the sheet contracting, for example, and thus decreasing the length of the perimeter of the means on which the sheet is supported. If-the support member is slotted transversely of the plane of the mounted sheet, the decrease of the said perimeter is permitted by the narrowing of the slots, while if the support member is continuous, the decrease of the said perimeter results in a compression of the material in such member, and particularly of the material lying in the plane of the sheeet.

A further object of the invention is to so provide the material of the rim, its configuration, and distribution, that the stiiening member shall prevent any warping or buckling, while the slots are narrowed, or the material is being compressed, as the case may be, so as to hold the sheet smooth and plane, and still so as to prevent any breaks, or cracks, or photoelastic strains being produced in the sheet.

Other objects and advantages will in part appear, and in part be pointed out, during the course oi' the following detailed description of several embodiments of the invention, which are given as nonlimiting examples, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. in which:

Figure l is a front view of a viewing visor embodying one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial section :taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and viewed in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a front view of a variable density window embodying a modification of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a partial section taken substantially on line 4'-4 of Fig. 3, and viewed in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a view, similar to Fig. 4, showing another modincation of the invention;

Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are views, similar to Fig. 2, showing three further modications of the invention;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary front view of another modication oi the invention; and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view, on line IIi--I 0 of Fig. 9, and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, rim II) comprises a strip of any suitable relatively resilient metal such, for example, as spring steel or spun aluminum. As shown, particularly in Fig. 2, said strip comprises an inner support rim member I2, and an outer stiiening rim member I4, interconnected by a curved spring acting portion I5. Along its outer edge, member I2 is provided wi-th a series of spaced tabs I6 engaging in complementary slots around and adjacent the edge of a shet 20 of any suitable organic plastic material, and the tabs are bent over substantially parallel to the face of said sheet and perpendicular to the body of member I2. Since the type of visor shown in Fig. l is usually used for viewing purposes, sheet 20 will preferably comprise selectively light-transmitting, transparent plastic material such, for example, as cellulose acetate containing any desired dichroic material, or said sheet may comprise light-polarizing material, as for example, such sheet materials as are sold under the trade name Polaroid.

In this embodiment of the invention, outer stiffening member I4 is provided with a further flange I8, extending inwardly and substantially at right angles thereto, for reinforcing purposes, and also to furnish a supporting face for the edges of sheet 20. Element 22, Fig. 1, represents any suitable mounting bracket means, which may be secured in any desired way to outer flange I4, as for example, by spot welding. Thus rim I0, as shown, is preferably made of a single piece of material, of uniform gauge throughout, with the stiffening member II so formed, as described above, as to maintain the rim, and sheet 20, in a plane, and the' sheet smooth, despite contraction of the sheet, and a resulting decrease in the length of the perimeter of the free end of support member I2, and compression of the metal of member l2, particularly adjacent the free end thereof. The parts thus call for the proper character of material, and proportioning, and configuration, rela.- tive to the characteristics of the suDpOrted sheet 20, whereby the sheet is maintained smooth and plane and unharmed in its optical properties, even though there results, on contracting, a decrease in the length of perimeter of the free portion of support member i2, by compression of the material of the member, as hereinafter described.

A prime difficulty met with heretofore in the use of organic plastic sheet materials for Viewing Visors arose from the fact that in general, said materials have relatively high coeiiicients of thermal expansion, particularly as compared with the expansion coemcients of the metals which could readily be used for mounting said materials. Also, such materials are subject to large contraction and expansion, as the moisture con-` tent decreases and increases, respectively. The result has been that a sheet mounted to be taut and flat at one temperature may expand so much at a higher temperature, or due to increase in moisture content, as to become wrinkled, and conversely it may so greatly contract at a lower temperature, or due to drying out, as to suffer serious distortion of the light-transmitting properties, or even to rupture.

'I'he present invention provides a successful solution of this diiiiculty in that the structure oi' rim i0 provides, under just sufficient force, for such motion between the two members as to compensate for expansion and contraction of sheet 20, while not injuring the optical properties of the sheet. It has been found particularly desirable to heat the sheet to a temperature such, for example, as 120 F. and provide that the sheet be not too dry, before securing it to the rim, and to make the connections between rim and sheet while the latter is in this condition. When it then cools to room temperature, and subsequently drys out, its shinkage is permitted by the above-described relation between members I2 and I4 which results in continuous, substantially outward tension over the entire sheet of suicient amount to thereby maintain it taut and flat, but without danger of wrinkling or rupture or harm to its polarizing function.

It has been found possible by means of the rim of the present invention to utilize, in the viewing visor, a sheet of an organic plastic material such as cellulose acetate as thin as of the order of 0.030 inch, and to maintain said sheet substantially completely flat over so wide a temperature range as from F. to 140 F., and over widely varying moisture contents, with freedom from any harm to its polarizing properties.

While the rim can be formed of various suitable materials, it has been found, as one nonlimiting example, that aluminum, and preferably spun aluminum, of a thickness of about 0.032 inch, serves the purpose admirably. The modified forms of rims, to be described below, may also advantageously be made of this same material.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a. variable density window comprising a pair of modified forms of the rim of the present invention, each of which has a sheet o! light-polarizing material mounted therein. Outer circular rim Il, in Fig. 4, is formed similarly to rim il, but the outer stiftening member l2 is lsomewhat longer than inner support flange 33 and is provided at its outer edge with a flange u which serves to seat rim 30 against any'suitable frame means'll. Outer member 32 is shown as formed with an outwardly pressed, annular bead Il which serves to maintain the rim in spaced relation to the inside of frame 35 and also provides for increased ease of movement between members l2 and 3l.

In this form of the invention, support member 33 isprovided with an inwardly extending ilange portion 3l, to which polarizing sheet Il is shown as secured as by means of rivets I2. Inner rim 44' is also circular and is similar in cross section to outer rim Il but is sumciently'smaller as to snugly engage within rim'fil. Its flange Il is shown as formed with an inwardly pressed. annular-bead Il adapted to register with bead II in member 32 of rim 3l. and to cooperate therewith to form a 'housing' for a snap ring 4I for the purpose of maintaining the two-rims inthe desiredI engagedrelation,r Ring 4l also acts as a bearing to facilitate relative rotary motion between rims 3l and N, and it may under some conditions also be found desirable to provide. iurther bearing means between danses 32 and ll, such` for example, as felt, or any other suitable material.

The remainder ofrim M is similar to the corresponding portions of rim Il, a polarizing sheet 50 being secured by rivets I! to an annular flange 54 extending inwardly from support member 5l. There is also provided a suitable handle element 56,'secured to inner rim M, to provide for ready rotation thereof withlnouter rim Il. It will be understood that saidrotation of polarizing sheet 50 with respect to polarizing :sheet l will bring the axes'of-said polarizers into successively parallel and crossedpositions andthereby provide for varying the amount of transmission of light.

As described above, in connection Fwith Figs. 1 and 2, as the sheets oi-polarizing material contract, and expand, the-material constituting the support members is compressed, 4and expands, and the parts are so proportioned and constituted that forces are exerted sufficient to maintain the sheets smooth and plane, but insuiiicient to so resist as tocause anyruptures or cracks in the sheets, or any otherharm to' their polarizing characteristics.

The construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 ls particularly advantageous for mounting in any application where minimum weight is desired, as, for example, in an airplane. irland M may be formed of a very light material, such as spun aluminum, about-".032-inch thick, and the entire assembly, including the polarizers, can be produced i-n a size providing a viewing aperture having a. diameter of fourteen inches or more, and yet with a total weight of the order of one pound or less. In the case of a l4inch diameter window, after cooling and drying for several months, a change (decrease) of inch was produced, and 'vet the, sheet was smooth and plane and entirely frei.l from photoelastic strains.

Furthermore, all of the illustrated embodiv ments ofthe invention are characterized by low cost and ease of manufacture.. since they may be readily formedl by a simple stamping or spinning operation from sheet metal material.

It will be apparent that the described constructions are subject to very substantial variations without departing from the scope of the invention, and that th'ey are also capable of many different applications in addition to those described. In all cases, however, the rim shall be such as to maintain the sheet smooth and plane and free from strains, regardless of wide variations in temperature and moisture conditions. For example, instead of using snap ring 4l in Fig. 4, annular bead 40 may be pressed outwardly to engage within annular bead II on the outer member of rim 30, and other equivalent guide means may also be used, such for example, as the modified structure described below and shown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 5, outer member 02 of inner rim 00, and outer member 04 of outer rim 05, are both substantially flat in cross section. and member 62 is provided on its outer surface with a lining 00 of any material suitable for use as an antifriction bearing, such' for example, as felt, velvet, rayon tape or the like. It will also be noted that material l0 extends around the edge of member 02 where it engages the inner part of member 04. It will of course be apparent that any equivalent packing means may be applied to the inside of member 04, in place of the disclosed construction. In this embodiment of the invention, means such as a retainer ring 00 may be provided to hold rim 00 within rim 05, and it may readily be screwed or otherwise secured to rim 05, when the assembly is in use.

The invention ls subject to embodiment in many forms in addition to those already described, and many modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, some additional examples thereof being shown in Figs. 6-8.

In Fig. 6, rim 10 comprises an inner support member 12, which is corrugated in cross section and forms, with the outer stiil'ening member 14,

an outline similar to a capital letter B. This construction is particularly useful in a rim of small size in that it provides increased resiliency. Fig. 6 also shows novel means for attaching sheet 15 to rim 10. Member 14 has a further flange 16 extending inwardly therefrom, and at right angles thereto, similarly to flange I0 in Fig. 2, to thus impart rigidity to this stiffening member. Sheet is provided with a peripheral bead 11, which may be formed in any suitable way as, for example, by passing a. hot iron along the edge of said sheet in the case of a thermoplastic material such as cellulose acetate. Rim 10 is initially formed with suillcient clearance between flange 10 and the outer edge of member 12 to permit passage of bead 11 therebetween. Then, after sheet 15 is placed within the rim, member 12 is forced outward toward ilange 10. by means of any suitable expanding tool, either thereby clamping the edge of the sheet, or preferably allowing a sliding fit between the sheet and flange 10, and thus the sheet is prevented from pulling out by bead 11. Thus. asin the above-described forms, the stiffenhiig member 14 performs its above-described funct on.

Fig. 6 illustrates another fact about the rims of the present invention, namely, that it is not essential that the support member to which the plastic sheet is secured, be continuous. On the contrary, member 12 is shown as slotted, as at 10, to form what is essentially a series of individual spring members arranged in spaced relation along the inner side of rim 10. Thus, as the sheet contracts and expands, the slots 1I narrow and widen. A similar construction. may be adopted if desired 6 in the forms of the invention illustrated in the other ilgures, although it should be pointed out that it is desirable that the connections between the sheet and rim be relatively close together, as in the case of tabs Il and rivets 42 and l2, in order to distribute, as widely and as evenly as possible, the tension placed on the sheet by the spring action of the rim. On the other hand, further modified forms of the invention may be produced utilizing a rigid mounting along a part or parts of the periphery of the sheet provided a spring mount is utilized for the other parts with said spring mount means so arranged as t0 exert tension over substantially the entire area of the sheet. One advantage of a discontinuous spring mounting in accordance with the invention is that such construction is particularly applicable to a rim provided with relatively sharp corners, whereas when a continuous mounting ilange is used it is preferable that the corners be curved, as, for example, in Fig. 1.

Figs. 7 and 8 show alternate forms of furth'er modifications of the rim of the invention.

In Fig. 7, the outer support member 82, of the rim 00, is substantially cylindrical in form, and is provided with an inwardly extending additional ange 04 to which the sheet 0l is secured. The inner stiifening member 8l is looped ilrst away, and then toward, outer member 82, as shown, for providing further strength and stiffening. It should be noted that a construction such as that shown in Fig. 7, wherein the sheet is carried by the outer member, is particularly useful as a lter designed to engage in telescoping relation with a lens barrel or similar device wherein such a filter may be mounted.

Fig, 8 shows the converse of Fig. 7, with an inner member 92, of a rim 00 substantially cylindrical in shape and provided with an outwardly extending flange 94 to which a sheet 0l is secured. thus constituting the support member. Outer member 90 loops first away from, and then toward, inner member 92, in a manner similar to member in Fig. 7, thus constituting the stillening member of the rim.

In Figs. 9 and 10 is shown another form of the invention, wherein a double loop member is employed to interconnect the two rim members. In this form of invention, an outer stiifening member |00, has its free edge curled outwardly and over, as at |0|, to lend stiffness to the member. wardly turned flange, constituted by separate tabs |03, formed by slotting the flange, as at |04, and a plastic sheet |05 is carried by this flange, and is suitably connected thereto, as by means of rivets |00. The two rim members are interconnected by a resilient means comprising the looped member |01, this member and the two rim members forming a double loop construction, in section, of the general form of a W, as clearly shown in Fig. 10. While the rim may be variously constructed, in one preferred form it is made of a single piece of sheet material, of uniform thickness, as by means of stamping, pressing, spinning. or the like.

With the construction just described, when attached sheet |05 contracts, for example, the perimeter of the flange constituted by tabs |00, and the connected parts. must decrease in length, and this is permitted by a narrowing of slots |04, and a compression of the material in support member |02, and particularly of that material that lies in, and adjacent, the plane of sheet lll. By forming the attaching ange as a series of The supporting rim member |02 has an in- 1 separate tabs, as by slotting the flange, the section of material that must be compressed when the said perimeter decreases in length is greatly reduced, and thus the construction can be correspondingly lighter in weight, and still the stiiening member can be stiff enough to prevent any warping or buckling of the frame under the force encountered, and so the forces on the sheet are enough to maintain it plane and smooth, and still not great enough as to produce any photoelastic strains therein, or cracks or breaks.

It should be understood that all of the abovedisclosed details of forms of the invention are merely illustrative of the principles thereof, and that the invention is not limited to any of said specific embodiments. The invention is also applicable to a great many uses. The embodiment shown in Fig. l is particularly useful as an antiglare visor for use in an automobile or otherV vehicle. Any of the illustrated embodiments, and particularly any of the individual units of the variable-density window shown in Figs. 3-5, may be used alone to provide a circular viewing screen, for example, in combination with photographic lighting equipment, and rims may also be formed for use in accordance with the invention in many shapes other than those illustrated in the drawings. It should also be understood that the rims of the invention are not limited to use with lighttransmitting, plastic sheets, but may, if desired, be used with sheets opaque to visible light, such particularly as ones transmitting ultraviolet or infrared radiations, or with a fabric, in any application wherein it is desirable to maintain such a sheet firm and substantially flat over a substantial range of conditions of temperature and/or moisture.

Since certain changes in carrying out the above process, and certain modifications in the articles which embody the invention may be made without departing from its scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

l. Inv combination, a closed frame including a support member, a stiffening member spaced from the support member, and a deformable member interconnecting the first two members, a sheet of organic plastic subject to wide variations in area due to variations in ambient temperature and moisture conditions, and means including a rim slotted at intervals to form a plurality of separate tabs, for fastening the sheet, at its edges, to the support member, the support, stidening, and deformable members forming, in section, a double loop structure shaped generally like a W.

2. In a variable density device, in combination, a pair oi sheets of plastic light-polarizing material, a circular frame means for each of said sheets, each of said frame means comprising an inner flange portion, an outer flange portion and means providing a resilient connection between said flange portions, means securing one of said polarizing sheets to one of said flange portions of one of said frame means, means securing the other of said polarizing sheets to one of said flange portions of the other of said frame means, and means coupling together said flange portions of each of said frame means other than said fiange portions carrying said polarizing sheets, for relative coaxial rotation.

3. In a variable density device, in combination, a pair of sheets of plastic light-polarizing mate- 'rial,"a circular frameV means for each of said sheets, each of said frame means comprising an inner ange portion, an outer flange portion and means providing a resilient connection between said flange portions, means securing one of said polarizing sheets to said inner flange portion ofone of said frame means, means securing the other of said polarizing sheets to said inner ange portion of the other of said frame means, said outer flange portion of one of said frame means engaging within said outer flange portion of the other of said frame means for relative coaxial rotation, and means maintaining said engaging ange p0rtions in predetermined axial relation.

4. In a device of the character described, in combination, a pair of circular frame means each comprising an annular band of relatively resilient metal, each of said bands being substantially channel shaped in cross section and comprising an inner flange portion, an outer flange portion and a resilient interconnecting portion, said outer flange portion of a first of said frame means engaging within said outer flange portion of the second of said frame means for relative coaxial rotation, said outer flange portions, on their engaging faces, being provided with complementary hollow bead portions, means engaging in said hollow bead portions for maintaining said engaging flange portions in predetermined axial relation,`and means adapted to secure a sheet of lightpolarizing plastic material to each of said inner flange portions at points spaced from said interconnecting portion.

5. In combination, a frame comprising a unitary structure having a substantially symmetrical cylindrical stiffening member, a substantially symmetrical cylindrical support member located inside of and concentrically spaced from said stiffening member, an annular resilient deformable member joining one edge of said stiiening member to one edge of said support member and adapted to be deflected upon the application of a predetermined stress to the second edge of said support member, and a sheet of material fastened to said second edge of said support member, said material being subject to rupture when subjected to a stress greater than said predetermined stress, the plane of said sheet material being substantially perpendicular to the axes of said cylindrical stiffening and support members.

6. In combination, a, frame comprising a unitary structure having a substantially symmetrical cylindrical stiffening member, a substantially symmetrical cylindrical support member located inside of and concentrically spaced from said stiiening member, an annular resilient deformable member jolning one edge of said stiening member to one edge of said support member and adapted to be deflected upon the application of a predetermined stress to the second edge of said support member, means including a rim on said second edge of said support member slotted at intervals to form a plurality of separate tabs, and a sheet of material fastened to said second edge of said support member by means of said tabs, said material being subject to rupture when subjected to a stress greater than said predetermined stress.

'7. In combination, a frame comprising a unitary structure having a substantially symmetrical cylindrical stiffening member, a substantially symmetrical cylindrical support member located inside of and concentrically spaced from said stiifening member, an annular resilient deformable member `joining o ne edge of said stiffening member to one edge of said support member and adapted to be deected upon the application of a. predetermined stress to the second edge of said support member, and a sheet of material fastened to said second edge of said support member by means oi' a bead around the edge of said sheet material which engages said second edge of said support member, said material being subject to rupture when subjected to a stress greater than said predetermined stress, the plane of said sheet material being substantially perpendicular to the axes of said cylindrical stiffenlng and support members.

HAROLD A. MARSH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Bartlett et al Jan. 22, 1898 Wylie June 16, 1914 Schoenberg Aug. 21, 191'l 'Illlyer Jan. 24, 1922 Berger Feb. 7, 1922 Castleton --.n Jan. 11, 1927 Waddell Oct. 18, 1927 Kuhn Aug. 30, 1932 Malivert Oct. 27, 1938 Burchell Nov. 11, 1941 Banker May 7. 1948 

